Desired. Morgan Rice

wide in delight.

      “I can’t believe it,” Caleb said, staring, “those eyes… she looks just like Rose.”

      “Can we keep her?” Caitlin asked, hesitantly.

      “I’d love to,” he answered. “I’d give her a hug, but my hands are full.”

      Caleb continued with the deer, through the room, and down the corridor. Caitlin and Ruth followed him, and watched him set down the deer in a small room, atop a huge slab of stone.

      “Since we don’t really cook,” he said, “I thought I’d drain the blood for us. Then we could drink together, for dinner. I thought I’d take care of the messy work in here, so we could just sit before the fireplace and drink in style.”

      “I’d like that,” Caitlin said.

      Ruth sat at Caleb’s heels, looking up and whining as he carved. He laughed, cut a small piece for her, and reached down and fed it to her. She snapped it up and whined for more.

      Caitlin headed back to the dining area, and began wiping down the goblets she’d seen. Before the mantle sat a pile of furs, and she gathered them up and took them out to the terrace, shaking them out in preparation.

      While Caitlin waited for Caleb to finish, she looked out at the sunset, breaking over the horizon. She could hear the sound of the waves, breathed in the salt air, and had never felt more relaxed. She stood there and closed her eyes, and she wasn’t even aware of how much time had passed.

      When Caitlin opened her eyes again, it was nearly dark.

      “Caitlin?” came the voice, calling out for her.

      She turned and hurried back inside. Caleb was already in there, carrying two huge silver goblets of the venison blood. He was in the process of lighting candles, all throughout the dim room. She came over and joined him, setting the furs back down.

      Within moments, the room was completely lit, glowing with candlelight in every direction. The two of them sat together on the furs, before the fireplace, and Ruth ran up and set beside them. The windows were open and a breeze wafted through, and it was actually getting cool in here.

      The two of them sat beside each other, and looked into each other’s eyes as they toasted.

      The liquid felt so good. She drank and drank, as he did, and she had never felt so alive. It was an incredible rush.

      Caleb looked rejuvenated, too, his eyes and skin shining. They turned and faced each other.

      He reached up, and slowly touched her cheek with the back of his hand.

      Caitlin’s heart started to pound, and she realized she was nervous. It felt like it had been forever since she had last been with him. She had imagined a moment like this for so long, but now that it was here, she felt like it was her first time with him, all over again. She could see that his hand was trembling, and she realized he was nervous, too.

      There remained so many things she wanted to say, so many questions she had for him, and she could see that he was brimming with questions, too. But at this moment, she didn’t trust herself to speak. And apparently, he didn’t either.

      The two of them kissed passionately. As his lips met hers, she felt overwhelmed with emotion for him.

      She closed her eyes as he came in closer, as they met in a passionate embrace. They rolled onto the furs, and she felt her heart surge with emotion.

      Finally, he was hers.

      Chapter Eight

      Polly strode quickly down the corridors of Versailles, heels echoing on the marble floor, rushing down an endless corridor with soaring ceilings, moldings, marble fireplaces, enormous mirrors, and chandeliers hanging low. Everything shone.

      But she barely noticed it; it was second-nature to her. Living here for years, she could hardly imagine any other form of existence.

      What she did notice, though – very much – was Sam. A visitor like him was not at all a part of daily life – and, in fact, was most unusual. They hardly ever had vampire visitors, especially from another time, and when they did, Aiden never seemed to care. Sam must be very important, she realized. He intrigued her. He seemed a bit young, and he seemed to be bumble around a bit.

      But there was something about him, something she couldn’t quite place. She felt like, somehow, she had some connection to him, that she’d met him before, or that he was connected to someone who was important to her.

      Which was so strange, because just the night before, she’d had the most vivid dream. About a vampire girl named Caitlin. She could see her face, her eyes, her hair, even now. In the dream, she was told that this girl had been her best friend for life, and throughout the dream, it seemed like they were friends forever. She woke up feeling it was so real, that it was more a meeting than a dream. She couldn’t understand it, but she woke up remembering everything about this girl, remembering all the times they’d spent together.

      It didn’t make any sense, because Polly knew she’d never been to any of those places. She wondered if maybe, somehow, she had been looking into the future? She knew that vampires visited each other in dreams, and that they occasionally had the power to see into the future and the past. But these powers were also unpredictable. It could be a world of illusions. One never knew: was one seeing the future, seeing the past, and was one merely dreaming?

      After the dream, Polly had awakened looking for Caitlin, as if she really knew her. She found herself missing her as she walked down the hall. It was crazy. Missing a girl she’d never even met.

      And then this boy showed up, Sam. And for some crazy reason, Polly felt his energy to be connected to hers. How, she couldn’t possibly know. Was she just imagining that, too?

      Aside from all of this, she found herself feeling something for Sam. She wouldn’t say that she was head over heels for him. But she was not unattracted to him either. There was something about him. It wasn’t the feeling of being in love. It was more a feeling of being… intrigued. Wanting to know more.

      Which made her all the more agitated that Kendra had already laid her eyes upon him. Not necessarily that she wanted him for himself. It was way too early for her to know that. But more because he seemed so innocent, naïve, impressionable. And Kendra was a vulture. She was a member of the royal family, one who had never been told No in her life, and she had a magical way of getting whatever she wanted, from whomever she wanted.

      Polly had always sensed that Kendra had some sort of sinister agenda. For years, she’d been trying to get every vampire in her coven to turn her. Of course, it was forbidden, and no one would oblige her. But now, she could tell, she’d set her sights on Sam. Fresh blood had arrived, and she was determined to try again. Polly shivered, not liking the idea of what could happen to Sam if Kendra was determined.

      Yes, this was certainly an unusual day for her. Her mind swarmed with emotions as she marched down the hall, and she realized she was already late. The new singer everyone had been talking about was giving a private concert for Marie and her entourage. The singer had been here for weeks, and all the other girls were going on about not only his voice, but his looks. She was eager to get a glimpse of him for herself. Polly had been looking forward to this, and now she was doubly annoyed that she’d come in at the tail end of it.

      That was the problem with this place, she thought, as she marched down yet another corridor. It was just too big. It was impossible to get anywhere on time.

      Polly stepped up her pace, and finally reached the end of another corridor, and two guards opened the immense double doors for her. She walked right through, and as they closed behind her, she was immediately embarrassed.

      The entire room turned and looked at her; as the singer continued his performance, she realized she’d interrupted the concert. Her face reddened, as she sank to the back of the room, taking a seat among her friends.

      Everyone turned back slowly, and as they did, she settled in, and realized the concert was almost over.

      She looked up, and watched, and as she caught the first glimpse of the singer’s face, she was shocked. He was even